As summer approaches, use strategic planning to help assure that tempers don’t rise along with the temperature. If you are divorced with minor children, making a summer of pleasant memories depends on several things:
- Parents: The single most important variable in how well your children enjoy any season is how well their parents get along—or at least how well parents are willing to work with each other. Even with divorce, relationships do not end, they just change. When there are children involved, it could be years before you can truly say “goodbye” to a former spouse. In the meantime, the willingness of each parent to deal in good faith with their co-parent can create an easy summertime scenario, or extend a bitter battle for the next three or four months.
- Children: The age and stage of your children has a terrific impact on plans you will make and how parenting time shakes out over the summer months. Younger children have different focus and needs than their adolescent or teen siblings. Teens may be interested in joining you on the annual family trip—or not. Your flexibility in understanding your children will go a long way to helping you and your co-parent create flexible, fitting plans for the summer.
- The law: If you have a parenting time plan that your family is familiar with and all parties are happy about for the summer—stick with it. Keeping the routine through the summer months creates a year-around structure that children depend upon to know where they can plan to be. When divorce, or post-divorce conflict, spills into parenting arrangements, sticking with the court-approved schedule can create safe harbor for everyone.
Despite the general application of parenting time plans to families in Maryland, and other states, each family situation is unique. Personalities and history are important to keep in mind when making summer plans. Changing the details of your parenting time schedule for the summer usually works for the courts if both parents are in agreement.
Some divorced parents still vacation together, while others would be hard pressed to think of anything worse. To raise healthy, resilient children, be as flexible, as forgiving, and accommodating of the situation as you can be.
Hopefully your summer forecast is for a lot of sun, but if clouds muck up the horizon and you have a parenting time issue on your hands, speak with a skilled divorce attorney in Baltimore for knowledgeable legal advice.
Talk with a dedicated divorce and child custody attorney in Baltimore
When you have questions about divorce, child custody, or other family law issues, the Law Offices of Allyson B. Goldscher, LLC provides strong legal representation and straightforward, trusted legal counsel. Contact us or call 410-602-9522 today.
